First Coast area walk-ons Jonathan Wallace, Cam Ponder have earned roles with Seminoles

Garry Smits

Saturday

Aug 31, 2013 at 6:13 PM

TALLAHASSEE | There was an important scene in the movie "Rudy" when he told a Notre Dame starter that it was his job, as a walk-on and scout-team player, to go all out in practice "to help you guys get ready."

Jonathan Wallace and Cam Ponder believe the reverse. The two First Coast-area players credit their current positions on Florida State's second team entering Monday's game at Pittsburgh to how often FSU first-team players pounded on them, one hot exhausting practice after another.

"I owe guys like [former FSU defensive ends] Brandon Jenkins and Bjorn Werner a lot ... I owe them big-time," said Wallace, a senior offensive tackle from Lee High, who went from scout team player of the year in 2010 to being put on scholarship this summer. "I was thrown into the fire against them and it made me better."

Ponder, a junior fullback and an invited walk-on from Yulee High, said trying to block teammates such as linebacker Christian Jones in practice ["I loved watching him play on TV."] more than replicates anything he'll see in games.

"It really doesn't get any better than the guys I see every day in practice," he said. "I go against some of the best players in college football. That motivates me to keep working and improving."

Wallace is backing up Bobby Hart at right tackle. He played in all 14 games last season, mostly on the extra-point/field goal team but had a high of only six snaps in one game at tackle.

Still, Wallace was rewarded during the summer with a scholarship. He said the feeling is different than being a walk-on, even if his role hasn't changed appreciably over 2012.

"It feels a little different in that I don't have to worry about tuition, housing or meals," he said. "That's a load off my mind. But [line coach Rick] Trickett has treated everyone on the line the same way. I've always been treated fairly."

It's a goal that Ponder has uppermost in his mind.

"It would mean the world to me," he said of the possibility of being put on scholarship.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said Wallace and Ponder have shown him what he expects out of walk-ons - especially those who want to be put on scholarship one day.

"Those guys [walk-ons] will go out there and get banged and bruised and there's no promise," Fisher said. "Then, all of a sudden, you see a guy that does it and there's some grit there. I have tremendous respect for those guys. They have worked hard."

Both Wallace and Ponder changed positions at Florida State and agree that it opened the door to the opportunities they now have.

Wallace played tight end at Lee and came to FSU in 2010 weighing 220 pounds. He said he was too slow to play that position on a major college level but coaches saw there was ample room on Wallace's 6-foot-7 frame to add enough weight to play tackle.

Wallace now weighs 295 after hundreds of protein shakes and hours in the weight room.

"I had to gain the weight," he said. "It was the only way I was going to play."

Fisher said the only thing keeping Wallace off the field is the experience the Seminoles have on the offensive line this season.

"I've coached at a lot of major universities and played tackles that Jonathan Wallace would have beaten out," Fisher said. "He's smart, tough and dependable, every day."

Ponder played defensive end at Yulee and had planned to attend FSU as a freshman in 2011. After a mix-up involving his test scores, he went to Florida State College for two years and stayed in shape working out with his former weightlifting coach at Yulee.

Ponder (6-1) has gone from 215 pounds in high school to 242. But with a crowd ahead of him at defensive end and depth thin behind returning fullback Chad Abrams, Ponder moved to offense.

When preseason camp opened, Ponder had yet to carry a football on a running play, even in practice. His blocking and work ethic have impressed Fisher more than any stats he could rack up.

"Coach Fisher looks for that," Ponder said. "You've got to show him you're serious and here to work. It's all about the effort."

Garry Smits: (904) 359-4362

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